The decreases in both mechanical load and inflammation are posited to be the two factors that result in the reduction in pain.
"We spend so much on knee replacements, if we just took some of that money and invested it in prevention it would prevent some of these operations. That’s where I’m going with my research. I want to know how I can relate this to the real world," Dr. Messier said.
Dr. Marcia U. Rezende from the department of orthopedics and trauma at the University of São Paulo (Brazil) General Hospital, said she would make one alteration to the intervention: "Since these patients had knee pain, why not think about cycling rather than walking? It has less force and slower motion, and it is the sort of aerobic exercise that might not increase inflammatory reaction as the walking did. So you would have the aerobic part, the strengthening program, and it would be as effective."
The congress was sponsored by Osteoarthritis Research Society International. The IDEA study was funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Dr. Messier reported having no relevant conflicts of interest.